Mystery

EVERETT

I knew I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight. But all she was doing was falling over. She didn’t even fall and hurt herself.

She punched Lucius, giving him a bloody nose and a grumpy mood, and broke a couple of fingers, some bones in her wrist, and bruised it terribly.

How she managed that, I have no idea.

And how I managed to lose control to Chaos and let him look after her like I should have. She wasn’t listening to me.

She wasn’t obeying me, which took me by surprise to say the least.

I don’t usually enjoy any defiance, but she almost made me proud, if it wasn’t for the fact that she was seriously hurt and should have obeyed me by going to the hospital.

Now she’s reading a book quietly on our bed as I’m surreptitiously watching her from the crack in the door.

She intrigues me.

Of course I feel the connection between us, and the pull of the mate bond which would draw me to her.

But it’s not just that. It’s her. She’s different. Not like most humans. Certainly not as balanced.

But she’s also a mystery of sorts. I’ve tried looking into the pack she came from, but I have no idea how I should approach the subject with her, and I can’t just go around asking.

They think she’s dead. They think they killed my little mate. They almost did too. She was just incredibly lucky with the rogues that night.

They normally tear humans apart almost as fast as pack wolves, which they detest. However, they didn’t harm her. Very lucky.

Yet, she’s very clumsy. She didn’t complain or cry, or even hiss in pain from her injury. When I first caught sight of her hand, I wanted to rip Lucius’s head off for indirectly causing it.

But her eyes were dry. Her cheeks too. Her face was more confused than in agony as she should have been.

She flinched a few times whilst I was bandaging her up, but there was nothing more than slight grimaces.

Since then, which was three or four hours ago, her hand is now turning green, as if it had been several days old.

See! Mystery.

And now I’ve got the pack on my ass about her.

To quote one of the warrior wolves: “clumsy little useless human.”

I would have cut out the wolf’s tongue had that not been a dead giveaway that she is my mate.

Why do I want it kept a secret? Because I still don’t know if she can stay. But the longer I wait, the more everyone’s perception of her solidifies, that she’s a clumsy little useless human.

And she’s not. Not to me. But it’s not about me. It’s about the pack. I’m responsible for a great many lives, and making her luna would share that colossal responsibility.

I’m not certain that she can do it.

“~It doesn’t matter. She’s not going anywhere~,” Chaos states as a finality.

“I’m still mad at you for taking over yesterday. So shut up!”

“~Someone had to look after our mate~.”

“I was. I was trying to get her to the hospital,” I countered in annoyance.

“~But she was telling you she didn’t want to go. She’s our mate, you can’t just order her about all the time~.”

“While she’s staying in this pack, I’m her alpha, so I can order her about any time I want.”

“~She doesn’t even think you care about her. Our little Aurora probably thinks we’re cold and cruel and bossy and couldn’t give two shits. That’s down to you. It’s your fault Aurora doesn’t like us~.”

“She likes us fine.”

“~Oh really? After you ordered her to train and got her hurt? She hates us~.”

“Maybe that’s for the best,” I muttered, more to myself than to him.

“~I swear, if Aurora doesn’t want to be with us because of you, I’m fighting you for control all the time, and soon enough, I’ll permanently be in control, and I’ll care for Aurora like we are meant to~.”

I roll my eyes inwardly at his threats, which he has been making constantly since we found Aurora in the woods.

She doesn’t hate us. She doesn’t even know us. I’ve been too... cowardly to have more conversations with her. I don’t want to open up to her if she doesn’t stay.

But I guess that’s in my hands.

Ophelia loves her, claiming she’s perfect for me and so sweet. She thinks Aurora will make the best luna.

Lucius, on the other hand, has a very different opinion. Even though he doesn’t voice it, knowing my temper when insults are thrown at my mate, he believes she’s too weak.

He isn’t opposed to humans at all really, and doesn’t even refute the idea of a human mate, but for an alpha—his alpha—to have a human mate who would become luna, he doesn’t think that title should be entrusted to a human.

He only voices the doubts I already have. She doesn’t have the strength or fast healing or heightened senses that wolves have, which are useful in being a luna.

Lunas have to be able to defend themselves in order to show that they can defend the pack and the pack can trust her.

If lunas do get hurt, they have to show no weakness in the face of it, and heal fast so they can get back on their feet.

And they must be able to do pack activities like hunting and running and training. Aurora would very likely die doing any of those.

Ace, although not approving of Aurora, has different views to Lucius. He’s amused by her, and at the pairing of the two of us. Ace believes wholeheartedly in mates, having yet to find his.

He’s still young so there’s still lots of chances to find her. But his faith in the Moon Goddess is unwavering.

And the mate bonds are the Goddess’s work, so they must be fated. Which is why the pairing of Aurora and me perplexes him so much. He doesn’t know what makes us compatible.

But just staring at her now, listening to the light gasps or sighs as she goes through the adventure of her book, it seems like there’s nothing more in this world that I want to do.

***

A couple of weeks go by, Aurora visiting the library and spending time with Ophelia, and me dealing with pack affairs and trying to figure out what to do with my mate.

The saving a human in rogue territory excuse only lasts for so long. And this pack meeting is turning into an interrogation.

“I know we believe in human coexistence, but that’s only when they stay away from us,” a female wolf, Amber, states with a sour scowl at the thought of my mate.

“We’re not a charity. If she has nowhere to go, get her help from humans. We help wolves. She isn’t one.”

“Alpha Everett, Beta Lucius, and I found Rory in rogue territory, covered in blood and exhausted. It is our duty to help anyone and everyone. Our duty as people,” Ace tells her.

“Yeah, and now she’s rested and well. She doesn’t need immediate help anymore. We should just send her back to the humans,” Lucas cries.

“She’s not one of them. She’s human, yes, but she has never lived with the humans. Her own adoptive mother was a wolf. She lived in a pack.

“She’s staying here and that’s final,” I declare, fed up with their comments about my little mate.

I march out of the meeting with my Beta and Gamma on my tail.

“Why don’t you tell them the truth or stop wasting Rory’s time?” Ace questions, grabbing my arm and pulling me back to face him.

I growl loudly at him, releasing all my pent up anger that was created in that meeting.

The mate bond, the connection between Aurora and me, is incredibly powerful, so that it almost makes it impossible to think straight. But I must think straight, for the pack.

And I honestly don’t know that Aurora is right for this pack.

Ace immediately lets go, taking a step away from me and holding his hands up defensively.

“He’s right,” Lucius pitches in. “I don’t like her, you know that, not as our luna. She’s sweet and all, but she’s a human, and not exactly a strong human either.

“She doesn’t deserve to be locked up and trapped here whilst you take your time deciding.”

“She’s not locked up,” I counter.

“She doesn’t know anyone here. Wolves around here don’t exactly take to humans. She just reads most of the time. She deserves a life even if you don’t want her.”

She does. I know she does. But if I reject her, she can’t be with anyone else, and I can’t let that happen.

Maybe it’s too late. Maybe I’ve already fallen for her, deeper than I should have done.